Full-fashioned hosiery



Oct. 29, 1940.

J. E. QUINN 2,219,790

FULL-FASKIONED HOS IERY Filed Nov. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y 7a HHHHHHHH Z6 MN! HUN! 2:;

I mm! l w i A IN VEN TOR. JdH/V E Gum v Oct. 29, 1940. J. E. QUINNFULL-FASHIONED HOSIERY 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Ndv. 12. 1938 R. m m mJob/v OWN/y I ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 29, 1940,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 2,219,790 FULL-FASHIONED Hosmar John E.Quinn, rhueuelthia, Pa. Application November 12, 1938, Serial No.239,925

10 Claims.

1 This invention relates to hosiery, particularly to full-fashionedhosiery, and is confined to the foot portion thereof.

This is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 73,372,filed April 8, 1936.

Women's stockings in the usual sizes are ofttimes of such size andnature that feet to which they are to be fitted fall between the regularsizes and on that account quarter sizes have been suggested which willentail apparent hardships on the retailer. That is to say, required toprovide quarter sizes in the various lines which he carries, additionalstock would be necessary, so that he would be compelled to invest largesums in additional stock.

This application is, therefore, concerned with the problem of overcomingthe inconvenience attending the present sizes of stockings and with theadvantages attending a stocking with the foot whose flexibility willadjust itself to the desired sizes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stocking with areinforced foot portion so constructed that it will adapt itself to feetof incidental sizes.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a stocking whichwhile being conventional in construction will have one or more .of itsreinforced foot portions so arranged as to 9 provide stretchability innon-consequential portions, thereby to enable the stocking to fit feetof varying sizes.

A further object is to provide a stocking wherein the toe part may beheavily plated over the toes,-around the sides of the foot and undersame while still combining therewith the features of stretchability.

A still further object is to provide a stocking wherein the usualdiamond point narrowings are eliminated, and flexibility provided bynarrowings through lace work areas.

In my United States application hereinbefore referred to, I havediscussed and described a stocking provided with a foot having a portionof alternate tight and loose courses whereby stretchability is provided.

According to the invention, the full-fashioned stocking blank having aleg and instep of normal knitting and a reinforced foot, has an area insaid foot made up of alternate blocks having all loose knit loops andintermediate blocks having all tight knit loops withportions adjacentthe outer edges of the blank and extending the full length of saidalternate blocks wherein each course is composed of loose loops. Theloose if he were course areas may be provided with an additionalreinforcing thread. The toe portion may be narrowed through lacestitches substantially near and parallel with the selvage edges of thetoe, and an additional reinforcing thread may be 5 knitted into the areabetween the lace stitches.

If desired, the stocking may be narrowed in the conventional manner andan extra reinforcing thread knitted into the entire toe or the entiretoe may be composed of alternate tight and loose courses with an extrareinforcing thread knit into the loose courses only.

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention and the viewstherein are as follows:

Figure 1 is a developed fashioned stocking blank showing an arrangementof loosely knitted areas to provide the required stretchability,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating the ordinaryreinforced tightly knitted loops and an additional reinforcement in theloosely knitted loops which form the loosely knitted areas shown in theblank of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a stocking made from the blank shownin Figure 1 illustrating how the tight loop and loose loop areas appearin the finished foot,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing another arrangement oftight loop and loose loop areas,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the toe of the foot showing stillanother arrangement of alternating tight loop and loose loop areas,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the toe of the stockingblank showing the arrangement of knitting in the toe of Figure 4,

Figure '7 is a like view showing the arrangement of the knitting in thetoe of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing .the narrowing throughlace work extending up to 40 the selvage on both sidesvof the blank, and

Figure 9 is a like view illustrating a conventional narrowed toe knittedwith alternate tight and loose courses and with an additionalreinforcing in the loose courses only.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the stocking blank is made up of a legI I, an instep l2 of normal knitting and a foot l3 of reinforcedknitting. The foot has a heel [4, a sole l6 and a toe I1.

The sole It has an area l8 adjacent to and paraland knitted with loosethe blank. Loosely knitted areas 2| extend from' partial view of a full-15:

each area l3 sidewise of the foot toward the instep, leaving regularreinforced knitted areas 22 which are knitted with the regularreinforced tight loops 23 diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2.These alternate areas 2| and 22 appear as blocks in the finished foot,shown in Figure 4, and permit stretching in either direction when placedon the foot of the wearer.

The reinforcing in heel l4, toe l1 and blocks 22 may be the conventionalreinforcing now in common use, such as for example, a seven-strandthread knitted with a four-strand or other normal knitting strand of theinstep l2. Of course, it will be understood that the seven-strand threadand four-strand thread referred to are merely illustrative and othertypes of-threads may be employed as found most expedient for theparticular conditions desired.

In the loose loop areas I8 and 2| which have the regular reinforcingtherein, there may be an additional reinforcing thread 24, as shown inFigure 2. This additional reinforcing thread in the loosely knittedareas makes them as durable against wear as the tightly knitted areaswithout impairing the stretchability.

Figures 4 and 6 show a construction wherein the loosely knitted stripareas |8 adjacent the" selvage edge l9 extend lengthwise to the end ofthe toe in the form of narrowings as indicated at 26 in Figures 4 and 6,and Figure 4 shows this strip extending up to the top of the heel asindicated at 21. The narrowings 26 are' knitted through lace work 28parallel to the selvage edge 29 of the toe. From the lace work 23,blocks 3| of loosely knitted loops extend partway across the toe.From'the loosely knitted part 21 of the heel, as shown in Figure 4,blocks 32 of loosely knitted loops extend inwardly. The instep isknitted with the regular tightly knit loops, and the sole may or may notbe arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The lace improves theappearance of the stocking when on display, and adds to the stretchingquality of the foot, while at the same time permits heavier platingbeween the lace narrowings to strengthen the fabric which extends overthe toes, around the sides of the toes and under the same.

Figure 2, which is diagrammatic, has tightly knit courses 23 and thesecourses are intended to represent the combined thread like that of theleg or instep and the regular reinforcing thread or threads, while thecourses 20- represent loose loops having the same threads as the courses23 and an additional reinforcing thread 24.

In the toe shown in Figures and '7 the loose loop areas are in the formof strips 33 extending across the toe between the lace work 28. The re-4 maining portion of the toe between the lace work 28 and in thenarrowing 34 is knitted with the conventional tight loop reinforcedknitting. The

loose loop areas 26, 21, 3|, 32 and 33 may all be provided with anadditional reinforcing thread 24 shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 8, I have shown an arrangement of knitting in the toe of astocking in which each of the narrowings 36 is in the form of laceextending to the selvage edge 31. The area 33 between the lacenarrowings may be of ordinary tight knitting in which is introduced anadditional reinforcing thread. A stocking having this type of knittingprovides a reinforcing around the toes of the wearer where it is mostlyrequired, and places the lace narrowing strips under the toes where wearis not severe. A stocking with a In Figure 9, I have shown anarrangement of toe wherein narrowings 39 are of the conventional diamondpoint, and the toe has alternate courses of tight loops and loose loops.The entire area of the toe has the conventional reinforcing except thatthe loose loop courses have an additional reinforcing thread. The looseloop courses are diagrammatically indicated by the heavy lines 4|, andthe tight loop courses by the light lines 42. The use of loose loopcourses with narrowings of this type, permits knitting the additionalreinforcing thread from selvage to selvage. This additional reinforcingthread in the loose loop courses makes themv as strong against wear asthe tight loop courses. A stocking toe is thus provided of a durablecharacter which has a high degree of stretching quality.

-Of course, the foot construction here described 'said alternate blockswherein each wale is composed of loose loops.

2. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normalknitting, a reinforced heel part, a reinforced sole part, a reinforcedtoe part, one or more of said parts having portions adjacent the outeredges of said blank and extending the full length of the said part orparts wherein each wale is composed of loose loops and having withinsaid part or parts alternate blocks having all loose knit loops andintermediate blocks having all tight knit loops.

3. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normalknitting and a reinforced foot, said foot having an area thereof made upof alternate blocks having all loose knit loops and intermediate blockshaving all tight knit loops, portions adjacent the outer edges of saidblank and extending the full length of said alternate blocks whereinveach wale is composed of loose loops, and an additional reinforcingthread knit into each of the loose course areas only.

4. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normal.knitting, a reinforced heel part, a reinforced sole part, a reinforcedtoe part, one or more of said parts having portions adjacent the outeredges of said blank and extending the full length of the said part orparts wherein each wale is composed of loose loops and having withinsaid part or parts alternate blocks having all loose knit loops andintermediate blocks having all tight knit loops, and an additionalreinforcing thread knit into each of the loose loop areas only.

5. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normalknitting, a reinforced heel, sole and toe, said reinforced sole havingportions adjacent the outer edges thereof and extending the full lengthof said reinforced sole wherein each wale is composed of loose loops andhaving the balance of said reinforced sole made and intermediate blockshaving all tight knit loops.

6. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a. leg and instep of normalknitting, a reinforced heel, sole and toe, said reinforced sole havingportions adjacent the outer edges thereof and extending the full lengthof said reinforced sole wherein each wale is composed of loose loops andhaving intermediate said loose. wale portions alternate blocks havingall loose knit loops and intermediate blocks having all tight knitloops.

7. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instepof normalknitting, a reinforced heel,

sole and toe, said reinforced sole having portions adjacent the outeredges thereof and extending the full length of said reinforced solewherein each wale is composed of loose loops and having the balance ofsaid reinforced sole made up of alternate blocks having all loose knitloops and intermediate blocks having all tight knit loops, and anadditional reinforcing thread knit into each of the loose loop areasonly.

8. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normalknitting, a reinforced heel, sole and toe, said reinforced sole havingportions adjacent the outer edges thereof and extending the full lengthof said reinforced sole wherein each wale is composed of loose loops andhaving intermediate said loose wale portions alternate blocks having allloose knit loops and intermediate blocks having all tight knit loops,and an additional reinforcing thread knit into each of the loose loopareas only.

9. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normalknitting, a reinforced heel part, a reinforced sole part, a reinforcedtoe part, one or more of said parts having portions adjacent the outeredges of said blank and extending the full length of the said part orparts wherein each wale is composed of loose loops and having withinsaid part or parts alternate blocks having all loose knit loops andintermediate blocks having all tight knit loops, and additionalreinforcing thread knit into one or more of the loose loops areas only.

10. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a leg and instep of normalknitting, a reinforced heel, sole and toe, said reinforced sole havingportions adjacent the outer edges thereof and extending the full lengthof said reinforced sole wherein each wale is composed of loose loops andhaving intermediate said loose wale portions alternate blocks having allloose knit loops and intermediate blocks having all tight knit loops,and an additional reinforcing thread knit into one or more of the looseloop areas only.

J OEN E. QUINN.

